Rotary grain sampler device

ABSTRACT

The invention comprises a main diverter mechanism and a subdividing mechanism. The main diverter mechanism has a reciprocating pivotably mounted funnel which pivots back and forth through a stream of grain to divert a sample of the grain. The subdividing mechanism has a rotary wheel with diverting funnels mounted therein with the rotary wheel receiving the diverted sample of grain and the funnel in the rotary wheel subdividing and diverting a further sample of the grain. The rotary wheel has a pair of annular side flanges to hold the funnel within open areas therebetween to allow the portion of the grain not diverted by the funnel in the rotary wheel to pass through the open areas in the wheel. A housing surrounds the lower end of the wheel and receives the grain passing through the open areas in the wheel. The housing has a spout opening at its lower end to allow the grain to travel out of the housing.

United States Patent Primary Examiner- Louis R. Prince AssistantE.raminer-William A. Henry. II Almrney-Robert E. Kleve ABSTRACT: Theinvention comprises a main diverter mechanism and a subdividingmechanism. The main diverter mechanism has a reciprocating pivotablymounted funnel which pivots back and forth through a stream of grain todivert a sample of the grain. The subdividing mechanism has a rotarywheel with diverting funnels mounted therein with the rotary wheelreceiving the diverted sample of grain and the funnel in the rotarywheel subdividing and diverting a further sample of the grain. Therotary wheel has a pair of annular side flanges to hold the funnelwithin open areas therebetween to allow the portion of the grain notdiverted by the funnel in the rotary wheel to pass through the openareas in the wheel. A housing surrounds the lower end of the wheel andreceives the grain passing through the open areas in the wheel. Thehousing has a spout opening at its lower end to allow the grain totravel out ofthe housing.

ATENTFD JUL27|971 SHEET 1 [IF 2 FIG. 3.

INVENTOR Frank J. Jirik Q w). H W.

I 120 I26 J FIG.|.

PATENTED JUL27 :911

INVENTOR Frank J. Jirik m? HQWL ATTOR NEY ROTARY GRAIN SAMPLIER DEVICEThe invention relates to sampling devices, more particularly theinvention relates to grain sampling devices. This invention is alsorelated to my copending Pat. application Ser. No. 799,350 filed Feb. 14,I969, entitled Grain Sampling Device.

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel primary grainsubdivider diverter and secondary grain subdivider and diverter whichcan easily and inexpensively be manufactured and operated.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel simplifiedgrain sampling device which employs a novel pivotably mounted maindiverter and subdivider of grain with a novel rotary wheellike secondarydiverter and subdivider of grain with the wheellike secondary diverterhaving a plurality of diverting funnels mounted in the wheel tosubdivide and divert the sample ofgrain received from the main diverter.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel grainsampling device having a power plant mounted to the secondary diverteroperating the secondary diverter, with a wheellike secondary diverter,having removing diverter funnels.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe description proceeds and when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. I is a side elevational view of the novel grain sampling invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the primary or main grain diverterof the grain sampling invention taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1, withportions cutaway to reveal the interior construction.

FIG. 3 is a back view of the main diverter of the grain samplinginvention taken along line 3-3 of FIG. I.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cutaway view of portions of the maindiverter, similar to FIG. 1, and with portions cutaway to reveal theinterior construction thereof.

FIG. 5 is a crosssectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. I andproviding a top plan view of the secondary diverter and power plant ofthe invention.

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the secondary diverter and powerplant of the invention.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line77 of FIG. 5, and illustrating the interior construction of the rotarywheel secondary diverter and its sample receptacles.

FIG. 3 is a view taken along line 9-8 of FIG. 7 of one of the diverterfunnels of the rotary wheel diverter.

FIG. 9 is a view taken along line 9-9 ofFlG. 7.

Briefly stated, the invention comprises a grain sampling device having aprimary diverter and a secondary diverter and power plant, the primarydiverter has a pivotally mounted funnel adapted to pivot back and forththrough the main stream of grain, a rotary wheel like secondary diverteradapted to receive the grain diverted by the main diverter, saidsecondary wheel like diverter having diverting funnels adapted to divertthe grain away from the diverter into a sample receiving receptacle,while allowing the main body of the grain diverted by the main diverterto pass through the wheellike diverter, and a motor for powering saidsecondary diverter, cam means driven by said motor adapted to operatesaid primary diverter.

Referring more particularly to the drawings in FIG. I, the grainsampling invention is illustrated having a primary diverter and dividerstructure 21 and a secondary diverter and subdivider power plantstructure 22.

The primary diverter structure 21 has a boxlilte housing 23 with acylindrical opening 24 at its top and a similar cylindrical opening 25at its bottom. The main stream of grain will travel down the uppersection 26 of a main cylindrical grain chute 26, which chutecommunicates with the cylindrical opening 24, and has the same innerradius as the opening 24, and allows the main stream of grain to travelinto the housing 23 and out the cylindrical opening 25 at the bottomwhich opening communicates with the bottom section 27 of the main grainchute.

A funnel structure 29 is pivotably mounted in the housing 23. The funnelstructure 23 has a hollow funnel portion 29 which is fixed to andcommunicates with a hollow stem 30. The stem 30 has a bolt 31 fixed toits lower end. The bolt 3ll passes through the back panel 32 in thehousing 23 and is rotatably mounted to the back panel 32. The bolt 31also passes through and is rotatably mounted to a second backwall orpanel 34 and projects beyond the second backwall 34. A crossplate 35 isfixed to the projecting outer end of the bolt 31 and acts to pivot thestem 30 and funnel 29 about the axis of the bolt 31.

Mounted beneath the opening 24 in the housing are a pair of inclinedrectangular plates 37 and 35, which act as baffles and act to reduce thesize of the grain stream when viewed from FIG. 2.

The funnel 25 pivots back and forth beneath the opening 24, from itsposition shown in dashed lines in FIG. 2 and described by numeral 39 toits position in dashed lines and designated by numeral 40. The funnel 28is shown in its intermediate position in solid lines and designated bynumeral i l in FIG. 2.

A coil spring 42 has one end 42, fixed to the secondary wall 34 and itsouter end attached to the one end 35 of the crossplate 35 and acts tourge the crossplate 35 clockwise when viewed from FIG. 3, and therebymaintains the funnel structure 23 in its position shown in dashed linesand designated by numeral 39 as viewed from FIG. 2. A cable d3 isattached to the other end 35" of the crossplate 35. The cable extendsupward around a pulley 44 which pulley id is rotatably mounted to a pairof flanges 45 which flanges are in turn fixed to the backwall 34 of thehousing.

The funnel 29 of the funnel structure 28 is hollow and communicates withthe hollow interior 54 of the stem 30 of the funnel structure.

A metal annular disc 47 is fixed to the lower end of the stem in axialrelation to the bolt 31. A pair of identical diverging plates 48 and 49are mounted between the backwall 32 and secondary wall MI and divergedownward toward one another. A half sleeve 50 is fixed at the bottomedge 51 of the diverging plates and connects them together. Acylindrical hollow spout 51 is mounted to the outside of the secondarywall 34. The wall 34 has a bore of the same inner radius of the spout 52and the same inner radius of the half sleeve 50 and providescommunication between the halfsleeve 501 and the spout 52.

As the main stream of grain travels down through chute 26 and throughopening 2 the funnel structure will pivot back and forth through themain stream of grain and each time it passes through the main stream itwill receive sample of grain in the funnel 29, where it will travel downthe funnel 29 into the hollow interior 5d of the stem 39, and lateralwall 55 at the lower end of stem deflecting the grain sample travelingdown the stem out a rectangular opening 55 in the stern and through arectangular opening 56 in the disc 47. The opening 56 in the disc is incommunication with an arcuate slot or opening 57 in the backwall, whichslot is arcuate so as to be in communication with the disc opening 56and stem opening regardless of where the funnel structure is locatedwhether it has pivoted to its right or left position 39 or 40, or is insome intermediate point.

The arcuate slot communicates with the area 5% between the backwall 32and secondary wall 34 and between the diverging plates 4% and 49 wherebythe grain traveling from the arcuate slot will travel downward betweenthe diverging plates into the half sleeve 50 where it will be deflectedinto the spout 52, which spout 52 extends downward to the secondarydivider and power plant 22 thereby transmitting the diverted graindownward to the secondary divider and power plant. A flexible arcuateflap 59 is mounted to the backwall 32 and covers the upper portion ofthe arcuate disc 47, to prevent grain from working its way therebetween.

SECONDARY DlVlDER AND POWER PLANT STRUCTURE The secondary subdivider anddiverter and power plant structure 21 has a main platform 60 with fourlegs 120 and 121 and 120 and 121 supporting the corners of the platform.

A motor 62 is fixed to the top of the platform, and a gear reducer 63 ismounted adjacent the motor 62, with a conventional slip clutch 64connecting the output shaft 62' of the motor with the input shaft 63 ofthe gear reducer transmitting drive from the motor 62 to the gearreducer 63, and with the slip clutch enabling the gear reducer inputshaft 63' to stop relative to the motor shaft 62 in the event of anoverload or jamming. The gear reducer 64 has an output shaft 65 whichextends out opposite sides of the gear reducer. A pulley 77 is fixedaxially to one end 65' of the output shaft and a toothed gear 78 isfixed axially to the other end 65" of the output shaft of the reducer63.

Mounted above the platform 60 is the rotary secondary diverter andsubdivider. The rotary diverter and subdivider has a rotary wheel member66 and housing 68 which surrounds wheel member 66 and also acts as achute. A pair of rods 70 and 71 have their intermediate portions 70" and71" fixed to the side panels 72 and 73 of the housing 68 and the bottomends 70' and 71' are mounted to the platform 60. A crosspiece member 74connects the upper ends of the rod together in fixed relation. AnL-shaped rod 75 has one end fixed to the crosspiece 74 and the other endor leg has a frustoconical hollow cone member 76 fixed thereto, with thelower end 52' of the spout 52 from primary divider being slidably fittedinto the cylindrical upper end 76' of the cone member 76.

The rotary wheel member 65 has a pair of annular flanges 80 and 81 whichare connected together in fixed relation by plurality of radial vanes orplates 82. A pair of triangular funnels 83 and 84 are slidably mountedto opposite ends of the wheel or diverter member 66. Each of thetriangular funnels have a tapered base wall portion 85 and a pair ofsidewalls 86 and 87 integrally connected together with laterally outwardprojecting flanges 88 and 88' which extend laterally outward fromsidewalls 86 and 87 respectively and are integrally connected thereat.The flanges 88 and 88 are slidably received and frictionally retainedbetween a pair of stepped up flanges 89 and 89'. The stepped flanges 89and 89 of funnel member 83 have their lower edge 90 fixed to annularflange 80 and the lower edges 90 of stepped up flanges 89 and 89 offunnel member 84 are fixed to the annular flange 81 to therebydetachably mount the funnels 83 and 84 to the wheel member 66.

The flange 80 has a rectangular opening 91 which communicates with thefunnel 83, and flange 81 on opposite side of the wheel member has asimilar opening 92.

A pair of boxlike sampler receiving receptacles 93 and 94 are hookedonto opposite side 72 and 73, respectively of the housing 68. Thereceptacles 93 and 94 each have a box portion 95 with four sides 96, 96,96" and 96" and a closed bottom 97. The inner side 96' has an inclinedupward and inwardly extending flange 98 which extends toward the wheelmember 66. The receptacles have projecting panel portions 99 and 99which project from sidewalls 96" and 96' and which project against theirrespective side panels 72 and 73 of the housing 68 to space the boxportions 95 away from the panels 72 and 73 and to provide open spaces100 and I therebetween. At the upper inner end of the projecting panels99 and 99 is hook member 105 which hook over the upper inner edges ofpanel member 72 and 73 to detachably mount the receptacles 93 and 94 tothe housing 68.

A pulley belt 101 extends upward from pulley 77 into the open space 160and onto pulley 102, which pulley 192 is fixed axially on shaft 103. Therotary wheel member 66 has the shaft 103 fixed axially to its flanges 80and 31 and the shaft 163 is rotatably mounted in panels 72 and 73 of thehousing.

The secondary diverter in its operation receives the diverted grainsample from the main diverter 21 through the chute 52. where it travelsthrough the frustoconical cone member into the space between in thewheel member between flanges $0 and 31. Every half revolution of thewheel member 66 rotates either the funnel 331 and 84 through thediverted grain traveling out of the cone member and the funnels 38 and84 divert and subdivide a sample of grain out of their respectiveopenings 91 and 92 onto the inclined flange of their respective boxes 93and 94 and into their box portions of their respective box member 93 and94.

The housing 63 has four sidewalls 72 and 73, and 106 and 107 connectedtogether with an inclined bottom wall 108 which enclosed the sides 72and 73 and 106 an 197, except for a spout opening 109 at its lower outerend, whereby the grain sample received through the cone member 76, whichwas not diverted by funnel members 83 and 84 will pass downward betweenthe flanges 89 and 81 of the rotary wheel member and be collected by thehousing 68 and will travel out the spout opening 109 in the housingwhere it may be diverted into the main stream of grain.

POWER OPERATlON The motor 62 rotates and drives the wheel member 66,through the output shaft 65' of the gear reducer 64, which shaft drivespulley 77 and pulley 77 drives the pulley belt 101 which rotates pulley102, and pulley 102 is fixed to shaft 103 and rotates the shaft 103, andshaft member 193 has the wheel member 66 fixed axially thereto.

The motor 62 also powers the oscillation of the crosspiece member 35 ofthe main diverter back and forth and thereby pivots the funnel member 28back and forth, through the transmission of the drive from the outputshaft 65" of the gear reducer 64.

The toothed gear 78 is fixed to the output shaft 65" and drives theendless link chain 110, and the endless link chain 110 drives thetoothed gear 111. The gear 111 is fixed axially to shaft 112. The shaft112 is rotatably mounted to a sleeve 113 and sleeve 113 is fixed to theplatform 61). The shaft 112 has an arm 114 fixed to its outer end. Thearm 116 has two elongated plates 115 and 116 with their inner ends fixedto shaft 112 and wheel 117 rotatably mounted to their outer ends, by apin 118 fixed between plates 115 and 116 and the wheel 117 beingrotatably mounted on the pin 11%.

A lever arm 119 is mounted pivotally to the rear legs 120 and 121' by apair of sleeves 122 and 123 which are fixed to the legs 129 and 121 ofthe platform 60. A rod 12 1 is rotatably mounted in the sleeves 122 and123 and the outer end of the rod or shaft 124 is fixed to the one end119' of the arm 119. A short reinforcing strap 125 is also fixed at oneend to the rod 124 and extends parallel with arm 119 with its other enddiverging laterally inward and fixed to the arm 119.

A wheel 126 is rotatably mounted to the arm 119 by a pin 127 fixedbetween the arm 119 and strap 125 and the wheel 126 being rotatablymounted on the pin 127. The lower end 43' of cable 43 is attached to theouter end 119" of the arm 119.

Consequently when the output shaft 65" through gear 78 drives theendless chain 119 and the endless chain rotates the gear 111, eachrevolution of the shaft 112 will swing the wheel 117 downward againstthe wheel 126 as the lever arm 119 pivoting the lever arm downward fromits position shown in dashed lines and designated by numeral 129 to itsposition shown in solid lines and designated by numeral 129.

The movement of lever arm 119 to its position shown in solid lines anddesignated by numeral 127 pulls the cable 43 downward, which pulls thecrosspiece in the main diverter counterclockwise about pin 31, whichpivots the funnel 28 to its position shown in dashed lines anddesignated by numeral 40, as soon as the wheel 117 passes by the wheel,the coil spring 42 will pull the funnel back to its position generallyshown in dashed lines and designated by numeral 39, when the arm 114makes another revolution its wheel will again engage wheel 116 and pivotthe arm 119 down again causing the funnel to pivot back to its positionshown in dashed lines and designated by numeral 40, thus occilating orpassing the funnel 28 back and forth through the main stream of graincoming in through the chute 26, with each pass of the funnel 28diverting a sample of grain downward to the secondary diverter wherebyit is subdivided with the subdivided sample going alternately into boxmembers 93 and 94.

The triangular funnels 83 and 84, may be smaller than illustrated, withtheir outer edges of mounting flanges 88 and 88 remaining spaced thesame distance apart, so that the smaller funnels may be mounted in thesame stepped flanges 89 and 89 to thereby enable smaller samples to betaken. The bottom edge 130 of the openings 91 and 92 of flanges 80 and81 have inwardly extending tongues 130 formed integrally with theirrespective flanges.

Thus it will be seen that a novel inexpensive grain sample has beenprovided which can be easily made and produced and operated.

It will be obvious that various changes and departures may be made tothe invention without departing from the spirit thereof and accordinglyit is not intended that the invention be limited to that specificallydescribed in the specification or as illustrated in the drawings butonly as set forth in the ap pended claims wherein:

What I claim is:

1. A grain sampler device comprising a rotary wheel, a plurality offunnels mounted to said wheel, a lower housing surrounding said wheelfchute means transmitting grain onto said wheel, power means for rotatingsaid wheel with said funnels diverting a sample of said grain to theside of the wheel, receptacle means for receiving said diverted sampleof grain, said wheel comprising a pair of annular side flanges with openspaces between the flanges, said housing having a spout like opening atits bottom whereby the portions of the grain being transmitted by saidchute means which is not diverted by said funnels may pass between theflanges through the open spaces and out the spout of the housing.

2. A grain sampler device according to claim 1, wherein said samplerdevice includes a primary sub divider, said primary sub dividercomprising a pivotally mounted funnel adapted to pivot back and forththrough a main stream of grain and divert a portion of said main streamof grain to said chute means, with said diverted portion of said mainstream of grain diverted by said pivotally mounted funnel providinggrain for transmission by said chute means.

3. A grain sampler device according to claim 2 wherein said samplerdevice includes a motor powering said rotary wheel and pivotally mountedfunnel.

4. A grain sampler device according to claim l wherein said plurality offunnels extend between the pair of flanges and are mounted to theflanges for said mounting to the rotary wheel, and said open spacesbetween the flanges are further limited as being between the pluralityof funnels mounted to the wheel.

1. A grain sampler device comprising a rotary wheel, a plurality offunnels mounted to said wheel, a lower housing surrounding said wheel,chute means transmitting grain onto said wheel, power means for rotatingsaid wheel with said funnels diverting a sample of said grain to theside of the wheel, receptacle means for receiving said diverted sampleof grain, said wheel comprising a pair of annular side flanges with openspaces between the flanges, said housing having a spout like opening atits bottom whereby the portions of the grain being transmitted by saidchute means which is not diverted by said funnels may pass between theflanges through the open spaces and out the spout of the housing.
 2. Agrain sampler device according to claim 1, wherein said sampler deviceincludes a primary sub divider, said primary sub divider comprising apivotally mounted funnel adapted to pivot back and forth through a mainstream of grain and divert a portion of said main stream of grain tosaid cHute means, with said diverted portion of said main stream ofgrain diverted by said pivotally mounted funnel providing grain fortransmission by said chute means.
 3. A grain sampler device according toclaim 2 wherein said sampler device includes a motor powering saidrotary wheel and pivotally mounted funnel.
 4. A grain sampler deviceaccording to claim 1 wherein said plurality of funnels extend betweenthe pair of flanges and are mounted to the flanges for said mounting tothe rotary wheel, and said open spaces between the flanges are furtherlimited as being between the plurality of funnels mounted to the wheel.